Skip to main content
Draftanomics
Prospect dossier

Nico Iamaleava

QB · UCLA · via Tennessee · 2027 NFL Draft class

Public Draft Board rank #81·3 contributing sources·Board as of August 31, 2026
Draftanomics scouting
Preseason edition · August 23, 20264 min read

Master scouting report

Iamaleava is a long, explosive dual-threat with the arm and mobility to pressure every part of a defense. His first UCLA season produced more rushing value but less efficient passing, leaving full-field processing, downfield accuracy and pressure management between him and an early-round grade.

By Draftanomics · Sources & edition · Print report

01Experience And Production

Iamaleava has made 25 starts across Tennessee and UCLA, completing 449 of 702 career passes for 4,858 yards, 34 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. His 2025 UCLA line was 1,928 yards, 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 11 starts, a step back from the 2,930 yards and 21 touchdowns he produced over two Tennessee seasons. His larger résumé establishes sustained involvement, but his most recent passing season was the least efficient.

02Frame And Athleticism

UCLA lists him at 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds, giving him unusual length and sight lines for a mobile quarterback. He accelerates quickly once he clears the pocket and can threaten the edge on zone reads, scrambles and designed keepers. The frame remains lean, so he must protect himself instead of treating every open lane as an invitation for contact.

03Arm Talent

Iamaleava has NFL-level arm strength and a compact release despite his long frame. He can threaten the full field without an extended windup. The limiting factor is placement and decision timing, not the ability to generate velocity.

04Accuracy And Touch

Downfield placement and touch are inconsistent. Iamaleava's arm gives him access to vertical throws, but he does not make those opportunities dependable enough to sustain the passing game. Late decisions after the first read is capped further reduce the margin for an accurate throw.

05Processing

Iamaleava is comfortable reading a conflict defender in the RPO game and can punish a simple coverage picture quickly. He is less consistent when the first route is capped and the defense rotates after the snap, sometimes staying attached to the original read until the window closes. Faster movement to the second option would reduce forced throws and make the arm talent more efficient.

06Pocket Management

Pressure accelerates Iamaleava's sequencing without consistently accelerating the right decision. He can leave late or release after the route has lost leverage. Moving to the second option sooner and taking an available outlet would reduce the need to rescue a deteriorating play with arm strength or a scramble.

07Rushing Value

The running game became a larger part of his identity at UCLA. He rushed for 505 yards and four touchdowns in 2025, including 128 yards and three scores against Penn State, and has 934 career rushing yards. That threat changes numbers in the box, though it should complement the passing offense rather than replace difficult progression work.

08Off Script Play

Off-script confidence occasionally becomes unnecessary exposure when a checkdown or throwaway would preserve the down and his body.

09Situational Play

The Penn State performance showed his ability to take over a game with five total touchdowns. Other weeks ended with modest passing volume and too many stalled drives, especially when opponents forced him to win repeatedly from the pocket. The difference between those versions remains wider than it should be for a quarterback with 25 starts.

10Development And Leadership

Iamaleava returned to UCLA for 2026 under a new staff after a less efficient passing season. He has substantial starting responsibility across two programs and repeated weekly honors. The larger experience base makes his inconsistent placement and response to post-snap movement persistent development issues rather than purely unfamiliar assignments.

The case for the player

Strengths

  • NFL-level arm strength allows him to attack every area of the field.

  • A compact release gets the ball out quickly despite his long frame.

  • He has 934 career rushing yards and can be featured in the quarterback run game.

  • Twenty-five career starts provide more experience than most developmental quarterback prospects.

  • His five-touchdown performance against Penn State demonstrated genuine game-changing ability.

The questions that remain

Concerns

  • Downfield placement and touch remain inconsistent despite the strength of his arm.

  • He can stay on the first read too long after coverage changes post-snap.

  • The 2025 passing line fell to 1,928 yards, 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 11 starts.

Building the fit

NFL role and scheme fit

Iamaleava fits a spread offense that combines RPOs, play action, designed quarterback runs and moving pockets. Defined early reads let his release and arm strength work on schedule, while boots and zone-read keepers punish defenses that overplay the back. The offense should still demand full-field progression growth rather than hiding it behind constant movement. If his placement and pocket sequencing stabilize, he can become a high-upside NFL starter.

The Draftanomics view

Bottom line

Iamaleava projects as a developmental dual-threat quarterback. NFL arm strength, a compact release and 934 career rushing yards give an offense multiple ways to threaten a defense. Twenty-five starts have not established dependable downfield placement or full-field processing. Starting upside remains, but it requires steadier pocket decisions and accuracy; designed runs cannot substitute for those passing responsibilities.

Sources & edition

The Draftanomics assessment, synthesized from attributed reporting. Role and development language expresses scouting opinion.

Original analysis through August 23, 2026. Restoration reviewed September 6, 2026; this is not an in-season update. No new Draftanomics all-22 review is included.

11 original sentences are omitted pending further evidence or source-use review. The remainingassessment is expressed in revised house prose. Source links support the assessment; they do not represent independent votes or permission to reproduce an article.

View the 7 referenced sources
  • Nico Iamaleava - 2026 Football Roster - UCLA BruinsUCLA Athletics

    Career totals of 25 starts and 449 completions on 702 attempts for 4,858 yards, 34 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. The 2025 season produced 1,928 passing yards, 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions, plus 505 rushing yards and four touchdowns. Against Penn State he ran for 128 yards and three touchdowns and threw two more. The listed frame is 6-foot-5, 215 pounds. Career rushing is separately corroborated; conflicting 2024 details are excluded.

  • Tennessee2024 final statisticsTennessee Athletics

    The final 2024 team statistics record 358 rushing yards and 2,616 passing yards with 19 touchdowns, resolving errors in the UCLA biography. Adding 71 rushing yards in 2023 and 505 in 2025 gives 934 career rushing yards.

  • Early 2027 NFL Draft Nico Iamaleava Scouting Report - Last Word On NFLGrant Potter · June 30, 2026

    Power/velocity, quick release, middle-field throws and mobile out-of-pocket passing; holds/stares reads, unnecessary sacks and inconsistent touch/downfield accuracy/timing. Ordinary late-round to early-round conditional opinion; no provider metrics.

  • Nico Iamaleava — retained ringer_todd_mcshay evaluationTodd McShay · July 13, 2026

    Intermediate throwing velocity and accuracy flashes, arm strength and mobility. The transcript anecdote does not establish a lower-body cause for high misses.

  • Nico Iamaleava — retained nfl_draft_buzz evaluationNFL Draft Buzz

    A quick RPO release, play extension and arm strength, alongside inconsistent pressure responses, progression work and downfield accuracy. Provider scramble counts and derived throwing metrics are excluded.

  • Nico Iamaleava — summer scoutingAndrew Harbaugh · July 14, 2026

    Arm strength into tight windows, pocket awareness, mechanics and play extension, with inconsistent explosiveness. Harbaugh is more optimistic about pocket awareness than Potter and NFL Draft Buzz. Provider-derived metrics are excluded.

  • UCLA new2026 coaching staffUCLA Athletics · December 14, 2025

    UCLA’s official announcement records Bob Chesney’s appointment on December 6, 2025, and identifies the 2026 staff. The current player roster establishes Iamaleava’s return; draft-declaration speculation is not used.

Read statement references

Every passage remains linked to its supporting sources. Open a section to inspect the assessment and its evidence.

Sources for overview
  1. House assessment

    Iamaleava is a long, explosive dual-threat with the arm and mobility to pressure every part of a defense.

  2. House assessment

    His first UCLA season produced more rushing value but less efficient passing, leaving full-field processing, downfield accuracy and pressure management between him and an early-round grade.

Sources for experience and production
  1. Reported fact

    Iamaleava has made 25 starts across Tennessee and UCLA, completing 449 of 702 career passes for 4,858 yards, 34 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

  2. Reported fact

    His 2025 UCLA line was 1,928 yards, 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 11 starts, a step back from the 2,930 yards and 21 touchdowns he produced over two Tennessee seasons.

  3. House assessment

    His larger résumé establishes sustained involvement, but his most recent passing season was the least efficient.

Sources for frame and athleticism
  1. Reported fact

    UCLA lists him at 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds, giving him unusual length and sight lines for a mobile quarterback.

  2. House assessment

    He accelerates quickly once he clears the pocket and can threaten the edge on zone reads, scrambles and designed keepers.

  3. House assessment

    The frame remains lean, so he must protect himself instead of treating every open lane as an invitation for contact.

Sources for arm talent
  1. House assessment

    Iamaleava has NFL-level arm strength and a compact release despite his long frame. He can threaten the full field without an extended windup. The limiting factor is placement and decision timing, not the ability to generate velocity.

Sources for accuracy and touch
  1. House assessment

    Downfield placement and touch are inconsistent. Iamaleava's arm gives him access to vertical throws, but he does not make those opportunities dependable enough to sustain the passing game. Late decisions after the first read is capped further reduce the margin for an accurate throw.

Sources for processing
  1. House assessment

    Iamaleava is comfortable reading a conflict defender in the RPO game and can punish a simple coverage picture quickly.

  2. House assessment

    He is less consistent when the first route is capped and the defense rotates after the snap, sometimes staying attached to the original read until the window closes.

  3. House assessment

    Faster movement to the second option would reduce forced throws and make the arm talent more efficient.

Sources for pocket management
  1. House assessment

    Pressure accelerates Iamaleava's sequencing without consistently accelerating the right decision. He can leave late or release after the route has lost leverage. Moving to the second option sooner and taking an available outlet would reduce the need to rescue a deteriorating play with arm strength or a scramble.

Sources for rushing value
  1. House assessment

    The running game became a larger part of his identity at UCLA.

  2. Reported fact

    He rushed for 505 yards and four touchdowns in 2025, including 128 yards and three scores against Penn State, and has 934 career rushing yards.

  3. House assessment

    That threat changes numbers in the box, though it should complement the passing offense rather than replace difficult progression work.

Sources for off script play
  1. House assessment

    Off-script confidence occasionally becomes unnecessary exposure when a checkdown or throwaway would preserve the down and his body.

Sources for situational play
  1. House assessment

    The Penn State performance showed his ability to take over a game with five total touchdowns.

  2. House assessment

    Other weeks ended with modest passing volume and too many stalled drives, especially when opponents forced him to win repeatedly from the pocket.

  3. House assessment

    The difference between those versions remains wider than it should be for a quarterback with 25 starts.

Sources for development and leadership
  1. House assessment

    Iamaleava returned to UCLA for 2026 under a new staff after a less efficient passing season. He has substantial starting responsibility across two programs and repeated weekly honors. The larger experience base makes his inconsistent placement and response to post-snap movement persistent development issues rather than purely unfamiliar assignments.

Sources for strength
  1. House assessment

    NFL-level arm strength allows him to attack every area of the field.

Sources for strength
  1. House assessment

    A compact release gets the ball out quickly despite his long frame.

Sources for strength
  1. Reported fact

    He has 934 career rushing yards and can be featured in the quarterback run game.

Sources for strength
  1. House assessment

    Twenty-five career starts provide more experience than most developmental quarterback prospects.

Sources for strength
  1. House assessment

    His five-touchdown performance against Penn State demonstrated genuine game-changing ability.

Sources for concern
  1. House assessment

    Downfield placement and touch remain inconsistent despite the strength of his arm.

Sources for concern
  1. House assessment

    He can stay on the first read too long after coverage changes post-snap.

Sources for concern
  1. Reported fact

    The 2025 passing line fell to 1,928 yards, 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 11 starts.

Sources for nfl role and scheme fit
  1. House assessment

    Iamaleava fits a spread offense that combines RPOs, play action, designed quarterback runs and moving pockets.

  2. House assessment

    Defined early reads let his release and arm strength work on schedule, while boots and zone-read keepers punish defenses that overplay the back.

  3. House assessment

    The offense should still demand full-field progression growth rather than hiding it behind constant movement.

  4. House assessment

    If his placement and pocket sequencing stabilize, he can become a high-upside NFL starter.

Sources for bottom line
  1. House assessment

    Iamaleava projects as a developmental dual-threat quarterback. NFL arm strength, a compact release and 934 career rushing yards give an offense multiple ways to threaten a defense. Twenty-five starts have not established dependable downfield placement or full-field processing. Starting upside remains, but it requires steadier pocket decisions and accuracy; designed runs cannot substitute for those passing responsibilities.

College record & draft context

College production, measurables, experience, and the prospect's place on the sealed Public Draft Board.

Public Draft Board

Public Draft Board rank
#81
Position rank
QB11
Contributing sources
3
Movement since prior snapshot
Down 110

Sealed snapshot as of August 31, 2026 · equal-weight aggregation of public boards, minimum 3 sources for a rank · The Public Draft Board

College production

Passing
StatisticSeason 2024Season 2025
Attempts334323
Completions213208
Completion %64%64%
Passing yards26161928
Yards per attempt7.86
Passing TD1913
Interceptions57
Rushing
StatisticSeason 2024Season 2025
Carries109112
Rushing yards364505
Yards per carry3.34.5
Rushing TD34
Long3152

Seasons of evidence: 2. Games played, snap counts, and usage shares are not in the retained data. An em dash means the value is not in the dataset, not zero.

Evidence notes

  • The retained data contains 2 seasons of passing, rushing production (2024–2025).
  • Passing yards decreased in each observed season (2616 → 1928).
  • The newest college season in the retained data is 2025; the 2026 season is not yet included.
  • No verified athletic testing is included in the sealed dataset for this prospect.
  • 3 contributing public boards rank this prospect; the Public Draft Board places him at #81.
  • The aggregate public rank fell 110 spots between the two most recent sealed weekly snapshots.

Each note restates a displayed fact. None is a forecast of NFL performance.

Experience and measurements

Listed height
6'5"
Listed weight
215 lb
Class
Junior
Age
Not in dataset
Recorded school
UCLA
Former school
Tennessee
Hometown
Long Beach, CA
Jersey
#9
Recruiting stars
5-star
Recruiting rank
#3 nationally

"Not in dataset" means the value is absent from the sealed dossier dataset, not that it does not exist.

Athletic testing

Not included in the sealed dataset. No combine, pro-day, or RAS value is retained for the 2027 class; absence here does not mean no testing has taken place.

Listed roster height and weight (CollegeFootballData); no verified athletic testing is retained. Bio captured August 29, 2026.

Historical comparisons

Historical profile comparisons are being rebuilt.

Sources and methodology

  • Retained bio and measurements: Draftanomics prospect ingest (CollegeFootballData rosters and recruiting), retained seed data/seed/prospects_upcoming_full.parquet.
  • Retained college production: CollegeFootballData season statistics via the retained player cross-reference; position-relevant categories only; all-zero category rows dropped.
  • Age: unavailable — no birth date or age is retained for the 2027 class.
  • Transfer history: not retained — the page shows the current school and, where the frozen id names a different school, the former school.
  • Public Draft Board: sealed snapshot as of August 31, 2026; per-source ranks are not published under the aggregate-only source policy.

Board methodologyDossier methodologyResearch status

Board position reflects aggregated public opinion; the scouting report is a separate editorial assessment.